| Leader | Mentor | Understudy | Tail Ender | |
| Standards | Dave R | Alan H | Cath L | Veronica |
| Alternates | Graham W | Lynne R | Jan Br | Tessa |
We received an early warning that our scheduled Glenafric tramp was cancelled due to the danger of fire and we soon learned it was to be replaced by this new tramp. The Standards disembarked at PMH and did a wander uphill (mostly) before looping around and entering the Canterbury Adventure Park (CAP). Meanwhile the Alternates were dropped at the start of the CAP track that leads through the park and eventually to Worsleys Road. The temperature forecast was for 29 degrees so all 35 trampers were keen to get cracking before the sun reached its zenith.
The Standards, looking for a convenience stop at morning tea, found that most of the many toilets at the Park’s HQ were locked, requiring some to explore other options, including the café’s loos one of which required passing the delicious food and wine on display. Resisting temptation, we reconvened and were soon setting off up the track. At this stage, we were all feeling a lot of love (it was February 14, remember) for those who had designed the path with the many switchbacks enabling us to master the increase in altitude without much difficulty. Unfortunately, as the zigzags disappeared and the steeper grunts presented themselves, falling out of love came a lot easier than the steady uphill climb which was now our reality. A big thank you to our fellow trampers who patiently assisted those for whom the going was getting tough!
The Standards had lunch at the top of the track beneath a large shady tree with a pleasant breeze to cool us as well. At the end of the day, when the two groups met up at our destination, some were astonished to learn that the Alternates had pressed on to the Sign of the Kiwi for lunch. Here, a former member met up with her husband. How lovely we thought – a romantic assignation on this special day! But no, there had been no expectation of actually seeing each other, and Margaret and Eric ate their lunch at separate tables. The Alternates then walked around Coronation Hill before reaching the start of the Governors Bay Downhill Track.
Having been assured at lunch that “It is all downhill from here” some of us did wonder later if this remark had been a rather bleak comment about the person’s own future, or perhaps directed at those lying semi-comatose around him, rather than an accurate description of the topography. However, reaching the same track as the Alternates ahead of us, we found that it was indeed mostly a downhill walk with some very hot open sections interspersed with beautiful cool bush and cheering birdsong to lighten the mood.
Stopping for the obligatory photograph at the Reuter Park Memorial to Horst and Christa, there was a lot of interest in the pair. In the course of googling – the local Reuters gifted 23 ha of land above Governors Bay to the City Council in 1994 – I can tell you it’s best to avoid Reutter Park in Michigan USA where there have been three shootings in the last year!
And now for those who deal in stats: Standards walked approx. 14.1 km (sounds very specific for an approximation); elevation gain 745 metres (surely that should be a 9 at the start of that number); and took 4.75 hours. Alternates covered 12km approx.; climbed 540 metres and were out and about for 4.16 hours (4hrs 10 mins for those who can’t find the calculator). And Gary was able to tell us that at the turnaround at Worsleys Road we were 1501ft (457.5m) above sea level. In a nutshell all that is really important is that the Alternates beat the Standards to the bar at Ōtoromiro Hotel by 35 minutes! Well done! And thank you for leaving plenty of cool refreshments for the second team home.
Starting the homeward journey, it was evident that not too many had been able to postpone gratification, i.e. save Linley’s birthday chocolates until later. Whenever they were consumed, we enjoyed the treat. Thank you, Linley. As we bused down Dyers Pass Road (thank you to our driver Viktor for navigating the road and hill-parking) it was very sobering and worrying for us all to find that having our expected tramp cancelled due to the risk of fire, we were now looking at what appeared to be a large fire in much the same area as we had just been walking. We are thinking of all those families who have had to be evacuated in the face of this rapidly moving threat and hope that it will be contained and extinguished before reaching the disastrous proportions of the Port Hills fire seven years ago.
Finally, a huge thank you to the Programme Committee for this new walk, and to the leaders, mentors and tailenders of both groups who kept us on the straight and narrow.
Text by Jan Bw
